Christmas Message of His Beatitude, Mefodiy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine
Predstoyatel of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

To the priests, monastics and faithful of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church - In the Year of God - 2008/2009.

Christ is born! Glorify him!

The birth of Christ the Savior attracted people to the treasure of the kingdom of heaven. God became man so that man could put on God, to participate in the divine, by God's grace. Our changing life is full of various values and goals. However, the reality of life for each of us has only one meaning and that meaning - to obtain and grow in the grace of the Holy Spirit, which attracts us to the fulness of the divine life.

The value of the birth of Christ can be compared to God creating man. Creating human beings from «nothing», God gave them the possibility to be involved the treasures of his grace. The birth of the God-man Christ was a new birth of humanity. In the garden, grace was provided for man outside, a symbol which is the fruit consumption. In Christ the Savior, who joined deity and humanity, God's grace is provided a man, not from outside, but from inside our existence.

God became man, and this unique historical event is relevant to humanity today. Indeed, after his Resurrection and mysterious Ascension in the flesh, Christ the Savior did not leave humankind, but stayed with us in his church. God not only was a man, but remains in each of us today is a real opportunity to deny "the ancient, evil, human nature and put on the glorious deity of a new humanity in Christ."

How can we realize God's plan for us and utilize God's grace to attain the fullness of the divine being? This opportunity is given to us in the Holy Church, when we participate in the Sacraments, and most importantly, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the Holy body and blood of Christ. Therefore, in these festive days, we encourage every Orthodox Christian to piously approach the Holy Mystery, remembering not only that we are all unworthy of this great holiness, but also that communion in the holy the body and blood of Christ, unites us with he who is Risen.

In the anniversary in 2008, when the whole Orthodox Ukraine celebrated 1020 years of the baptism of Kyivan Rus, the episcopate, clergy and faithful to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church brought their sincere prayers to God for unity and the recognition of the autocephalous status of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

This year, there was an historic visit to Ukraine of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who, following the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, blessed land of Kyiv and the Ukrainian nation and called Orthodox Christians in Ukraine to unity. Also this year there were two other remarkable events. The first was the appeal of the Predstoyatel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the Primates of the local Orthodox Churches, which His Beatitude, Metropolitan Volodymyr urged them to develop a single consolidated position on the road to the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

Another important event that gives us hope, was the meeting of President of Ukraine V.A. Yushchenko and his All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, when the head of state called the Ecumenical Patriarch to hold in Kyiv in 2009, an All-Orthodox council of the Primates of all local Orthodox Churches. We also hope that the position of the head of the UOC-KP in the new year, will be constructive and serve the holy cause of the formation of a local Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Sending up prayers to God to overcome the existing division in our country, we support these noble initiatives of the President of Ukraine and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.In as much as they represent an integral part of world Orthodoxy,we are convinced that the Ukrainian ecclesiastical question, in the collective mind of world Orthodoxy, is justified and necessary. Therefore we are hoping that the joint efforts of the local Orthodox Churches will help the Orthodox Church in Ukraine to find its God-intended unity.

Sincerely greeting the episcopate, clergy and faithful of our Holy Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church on the great holiday of the Birth of Christ, I prayerfully wish you all salvation, God's help in all your good works and healing peace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, and saving and preserving our God-loving people and nation.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

His Beatitude, Mefodiy
Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine
Predstoyatel of the UAOC

Nativity of Christ
Kyiv, January 7, 2009

Read Ukrainian Version